Offering full-day kindergarten for the first time in the district’s history, school officials received more than 115 applications for the 75 full-day seats during the recent registration period.

With nearly half the kindergarten-aged children in town registering for full-day kindergarten at Hudson’s three elementary schools, Assistant Superintendent Jodi Fortuna said school officials held a lottery this week and awarded 45 full-day seats at Mulready School and 15 seats each at Forest Avenue School and Mulready School.

"We were hoping we would end up with 50 percent interest," said Fortuna. "It was slightly under at 47 percent, but close. We were very happy with the interest."

The students not chosen through the lottery were placed on a waiting list and could get a seat if a family whose student was chosen opts out of the program, said Fortuna.

In the fall, school officials voted to offer five sessions of full-day kindergarten next year, but said they would look at adding sessions if there was a high demand. School officials will likely discuss the issue after April 12 when deposits are due for the full-day seats.

"It is still out there," said Fortuna. "If the numbers hold after the deposits are due, we’ll be able to make a better decision."

With fifth-graders moving to the new middle school next year, the district had room at the elementary schools to offer a full-day program for the first time.

A typical day in the full-day program will include a morning meeting, word study, response to intervention, a writer’s workshop, lunch, recess, a math workshop, structured learning, structured recess and a reader’s workshop. Art, music and physical education will be held on a rotating schedule.

"We’re really happy we finally have the facilities to offer this," said Fortuna. "I’m excited for next year."